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TINA PEPLINSKIE, QMI Agency

Feb 17, 2010

, Last Updated: 3:16 PM ET

A 45-year-old Pembroke woman has been sentenced to house arrest after a bizarre crime spree that involved five strangers and a decorative reindeer.

Jennnifer Knowles, 45, of Deep River, Ont., admitted on Tuesday to stealing from a delivery truck, scratching a woman's face, breaking and stealing Christmas decorations, stealing a snowboard from a 10-year-old and wrenches from a man fixing his car, then speeding in a residential area with her car doors open all on the same day.

The court heard that Knowles started Dec. 22 by approaching a stopped delivery truck, asking the driver what he had inside. She eventually got into the truck and stole a box, an envelope and a number of waybills before fleeing.

She then entered a business in Deep River and began grabbing papers off the front counter. An employee ran after Knowles, asking her to return the papers. When challenged, Knowles clawed and grabbed at the woman¹s face, scratching her cheek. When they were outside, Knowles also attempted to pull the woman into her car, but the employee managed to get away and Knowles drove off.

She next stopped at a home where she went onto the porch and took lights, garland and a wreath and placed the items in the backseat of her car. She then destroyed a reindeer Christmas decoration and damaged a planter at another residence.

She continued driving around Deep River and saw a 10-year-old boy walking with his snowboard. She drove up beside him, stopped the car and took the snowboard from the boy.

She also stole a set of wrenches that had been left outside by a man working on his car and she then sprayed oil all over the engine.

Police received a number of calls about these incidents and began searching for Knowles. They found her speeding in a residential area with two of her car doors open. She drove to Hwy. 17 and stopped at a business, where she was arrested.

Knowles pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, three counts of theft under $5,000, one count of mischief under $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failing to stop for police.

She received an 18-month conditional sentence. The first 12 months of the sentence will be spent under house arrest and the sentence will be followed by three years probation. The judge imposed a one-year driving prohibition, 10-year weapons prohibition and ordered she provide a sample of her DNA for the national registry.